That’s one way of looking at it. Another way is to consider the benefits of having the iPad (or any tablet) technology at one’s fingertips — less to carry, more tools than a traditional textbook (video, audio, links to additional resources) — plus the fact that an iPad is so much more than an eReader. Students can also use it to produce presentations, collaborate, do research, etc…
And the most costly expense could be the school’s commitment to information having to then be vetted by Apple; a company that has a history of censoring information through their app store.
Stephen Abram is a librarian and principal with Lighthouse Consulting Inc., and executive director of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries. He blogs on library strategies for direction, marketing, technology and user alignment.
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That’s one way of looking at it. Another way is to consider the benefits of having the iPad (or any tablet) technology at one’s fingertips — less to carry, more tools than a traditional textbook (video, audio, links to additional resources) — plus the fact that an iPad is so much more than an eReader. Students can also use it to produce presentations, collaborate, do research, etc…
And the most costly expense could be the school’s commitment to information having to then be vetted by Apple; a company that has a history of censoring information through their app store.